Thursday, October 8, 2026
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

CBS Sports Off To Best NFL Television Start in 12 Years

  • Packers-Patriots draws biggest Week 4 audience since CBS’ return to NFL in 1998.
  • NFL on CBS games are averaging 18.559 million viewers through Week 4.
Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Before kicking off NFL’s 2022 season, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus likened the league to a speeding “freight train” that only gets bigger and faster every year.

At the quarter pole of the season, McManus appears to be as talented at predictions as his star analyst Tony Romo.

CBS is off to its best NFL start in 12 years, with the “NFL on CBS” game telecasts averaging 18.559 million viewers so far this season.

The network’s late Sunday afternoon broadcast of the Green Bay Packers’ 27-24 overtime victory over the New England Patriots at venerable Lambeau Field averaged a whopping 24.647 million viewers. 

That was up 8% from last season’s comparable telecast. It marked CBS’s most-watched Week 4 game window since the network returned to the NFL rotation in 1998.

Meanwhile, Paramount+, which streams live local-market games, is on pace for its most-streamed NFL season ever. 

During Week 4, the platform scored double-digit year-over-year growth in households, minutes and average minute audience (AMA). 

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) A view of the NFL logo and the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys during the game at Maracana Stadium.

NFL Urges Supreme Court to Hear Prediction-Markets Case

“It is critical for the Court to act as soon as possible,” a league source says.

Titans Fire Three Business Execs Amid Another Ugly Start

The moves are just the latest high-level exits and shifts in recent years. 
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/8/26 – Rahm Rejects LIV, Trump’s Stormy Georgia-Alabama Visit, Super Bowl on Disney+

0:00

Featured Today

Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.
Aug 9, 2026; Bedminster, New Jersey, USA; President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse during the final round of the LIV Golf New York tournament at Trump National Bedminster.
September 25, 2026

Trump’s Year of Sports Gets Busier With CFB, Presidents Cup

The impact of Trump’s attendance varies across each sporting event.
Oct 23, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Stephen A. Smith (Stephen Smith) on the ESPN NBA Countdown live set at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith Ditches the ‘Nopology’ in Lane Johnson Mea Culpa

Smith faced criticism for comments about Johnson retiring to focus on mental health.
Kenny Albert Fox Sports
First at FOS
October 7, 2026

Kenny Albert’s Last-Minute NLDS Fill-In Came Mid-Colonoscopy Prep

Albert filled in for Joe Davis, who had lost his voice.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco v RC Strasbourg - Stade Louis II, Monaco, - April 19, 2025 TV pundit holds a DAZN microphone before the match
October 8, 2026

DAZN Grows Sports Footprint as It Acquires Local Rights

The streamer has quickly amassed a large collection of team rights.
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
Charles Barkley Shaquille O'Neal
First at FOS
October 7, 2026

Shaquille O’Neal on Charles Barkley Retiring: ‘I Don’t Believe That’

Barkley has walked back retirement plans before, most recently in 2024.
Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; United States President Donald Trump is shown on the video board in attendance at Neyland Stadium before the game between Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Trump Still Plans to Attend Georgia-Alabama Despite Tropical Storm

The tropical storm projects to progress to a hurricane by Friday.
Oct 4, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs for seventy-six yards against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) and safety Jeremy Chinn (11) during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium.
October 7, 2026

Combined Sports Assets Give Skydance Leverage With NFL

The company’s co-CEOs spent Day 1 meeting with employees and press.
Max Kellerman Ring Magazine
Exclusive
October 6, 2026

Max Kellerman, LeSean McCoy Not Returning to DAZN Boxing Show

DAZN announced Tuesday that Mario Lopez is joining the show.